126 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



NEW FOREST NOTES, 1913. 

 By G. T. Lyle. 



In spite of there being some people who, after a visit lasting 

 a week or so, return to their homes saying that the Forest is 

 " played out," that insects are exterminated, &c,, &c., it remains 

 a fact that, year after year, entomologists and collectors flock to 

 this favoured neighbourhood, and, if they " know the ropes," 

 generally leave well satisfied with the results of their labours. 



The locality is so well known to many of j^our readers that, 

 possibly, a few notes by a resident may be of interest. 



As regards the oft-repeated statement that many of our 

 insects, once common, have disappeared, I can think of three 

 only of which this may be true ; these are Aporia cratagi, 

 Leucophasia sinapis, and Melanargia galatea. The first of these 

 can scarcely be considered properly indigenous to this country, 

 although, undoubtedly, it often breeds here. It seems probable 

 that some time in the last century migratory specimens reached 

 the Forest from the Continent, and, under specially favourable 

 climatic conditions, succeeded in establishing a colony, but that 

 the first exceptionally cold, or more probably exceptionally wet, 

 winter killed off the settlers. 



Why L. sinapis should have disappeared is a mystery. We 

 can scarcely blame the collector ; more probably hymenopterous 

 parasites were the culprits. It would seem that some thirty 

 years have elapsed since a specimen was captured ; but it may 

 turn up again. Who knows ? Stranger things have happened. 



If we cannot understand the disappearance of L. sinapis, it 

 is equally hard to understand why M. galatea should ever have 

 occurred in the Forest ; a more unlikely spot for this chalk hill- 

 loving species would be hard to find. 



As in other parts of England, mackintoshes and umbrellas 

 were at a discount during the summer of 1911, for, with the 

 exception of Coronation Week, scarcely any rain fell from 

 mid- April to mid- October. Such a very warm and dry summer 

 accounts, no doubt, for so many insects having produced an 

 additional brood, or partial brood. The following instances 

 have come to my notice : — 



Pararge egeria. — There appear to have been four emer- 

 gences, the last in late September and early October. 



Porthesia similis. — I took a fresh male from a street-lamp on 

 the evening of October 19th. 



Cerura furcula. — This species would seem to be frequently 

 double-brooded, or partially so, in the Forest, but this has never 

 been more noticeable than in 1911, for during September the 

 larv8B could be taken in numbers from sallow. 



Triphcena pronuha. — Two fresh female specimens were taken 



